The Darkest Hour
by T'Mu-Yor
Summary: AU Breaking Dawn Didn't happen. Jacob black concedes defeat and runs off to get away from Bella and Edward. A new Wolf shifts to replace him. He Finally returns and meets her. Full summary inside Jacob/OC
1. Prologue

"**QUILEUTE ~ LA PUSH ~ CHALLENGE" Entry**

**Title: The Darkest Hour**

**Pen name: ToraNoKo123**

**Beta Name: (Hannah/ IRL best friend, no FF account but she betad through e-mail and live review)**

**Genre: Romance**

**Summary: Let's just say that Breaking Dawn NEVER HAPPENED… Everything else did. Jacob Black can't stand watching Bella and Edward live 'happily ever after' but respects Bella enough to not interfere. After much deliberation he decides to break from the Pack and become a lone Alpha. He travels east to give himself some much needed space from the 'happy couple'. Even though the threat of the new born vampires was gone apparently nature didn't like that the pack was down one member so another new shifter was born. **

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this challenge visit **

**http:www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/QUILEUTE_la_push_CHALLENGE/74774~ **

**To use the above url replace the (DOT) with a . **

**~DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.**

**I own Ariana/Ri and other misc characters. Don't take them without asking.**

The Darkest Hour

Prologue

1992 Northern Indiana

A little girl of four sat eagerly in her bed waiting on her elderly Great Grandma to come tuck her in for the night and tell her a story. Fern Snow lived in Oklahoma and only came over once or twice a year. She was 98 years old with pure white hair and blue eyes so pale at times they looked the color of glaciers. She only stood 4foot 9inches but it was hard to miss her when she entered a room. She always told the best stories, she was half Cherokee and most of her stories had been passed down through many generations of Native Americans.

The beautiful old woman came in the room slowly smiling at the small blond haired Child with the same blue eyes. "Well my little Ariana what story shall I tell you tonight?"

The girl pretended to ponder the question but she had chosen the story the moment her grandmother had agreed to tuck her in to bed. "Would you tell me the one about the Indian Princess?"

Fern smiled sweetly at the young girl before sitting down on the side of the bed and making sure she was snuggly tucked under the covers. "Hum… you really do like that story don't you? Alright but you have to be really quiet and stay lying down."

Ariana nodded and snuggled deep into the covers making sure to be really quiet so that Grandma Snow would tell the story and use the special voices. Once she was settled Fern closed her eyes as if she had witnessed the story herself.

"Many years ago in a small Cherokee village lived a beautiful girl. She was the second child of the Village's Chief. Her older brother, who she loved very much, was going to take her father's place as Chief one day so she spent most of her time following the old Medicine man around to learn from him.

Late one night while all the villagers were asleep an evil spirit snuck into the village and kidnapped one of the young mothers of the village. They searched for days but never found her. A week later, on the same day, another girl went missing, this time the young daughter of a strong brave.

This went on for many weeks and finally the village elders started to pick the weekly sacrifice so that other young children would not be motherless. One week the young girl chosen was the love interest of the chief's son. When the young princess found out, she volunteered to take her place, so that her brother would not lose the love of his life. Her father was furious but after the daughter pleaded her case to him and the elders they agreed to let her go.

The night finally came for the young princess to wait at the edge of the village for the evil demon. Although she was scared of what was to come she refused to run. Finally out of the shadows a large figure crept out, as it got closer the young girl refused to move or weep. Eventually the figure got close enough for her to see. It was a beautiful white she wolf with piercing blue eyes.

The large wolf slowly walked up to the princess before sitting down. No one that had seen the evil spirit had ever lived to tell anyone else what it looked like but the princess was sure that the wolf in front of her wasn't it. "Hello Sister Wolf, what can I do for you?" the girl asked not expecting an answer.

"Young one, you have done a great deed to save a loved one. Because of this the council of spirits has decided to grant you the strength needed to defeat the evil spirit hurting your brethren." With that the wolf stood up and put a paw over the young princess's heart. A jolt went through the young girl and she fell asleep to the sound of a howling wolf.

When the princess woke only moments later she noticed that something was different. She didn't have time to figure out what it was because the evil spirit suddenly came out of the forest. It stalked slowly towards her laughing the whole way. The princess stood her ground for a moment but something urged her forward and before she knew it she had turned into the spitting image of the large wolf spirit who had come to her.

The evil spirit shrieked and tried to attack the princess but she quickly killed it. After the spirit was dead she found that she could easily shift back to her normal human body. Rejoicing she quickly returned to the village to give them the good news.

She ran into the village shouting so she could get the villagers attention. Soon all of the villagers came out to investigate the noise. Her brother was the first to reach her and quickly embraced her glad she was safe. As he let her go he gasped. "My dear sister your eyes, they have changed"

The young princess was curious as to what he was talking about and soon found herself standing above a small bowl of water. Her reflection showed that she looked the same as always except for her startling blue eyes. They were the same blue eyes that the wolf had. For a moment the young princess was puzzled but the soft voice of the wolf spirit echoed in her mind.

"Dear child, do not fear, because of your great courage I have given you my strength, we are now one. When ever you are in danger or in need I will lend you my strength."

The people praised the young princess and from that day forward she became the guardian of the village. Through out her life the wolf spirit was with her. She eventually married and had children of her own, three boys and one girl. Each of the boys had brown eyes like their father but her daughter had her same blue eyes. The same blue eyes that I have… and you have. That princess was my great great grandmother.

The story finished Fern looked down at Ariana who appeared to be fast asleep under the covers. She smiled at the young girl before leaning down and kissing her forehead. Finally she got up to leave the room; she was almost out of the door when she heard a noise behind her. "Grandma Fern, if I have the same blue eyes as the princess does that mean I can turn into a wolf too?"

Fern turned and with the light from the hall shinning behind her she shrugged her shoulders "No one has turned into a wolf so far my little princess, and hopefully they never will have to. The wolf is only meant as a protector. If you should turn into a wolf that means you or someone you love is in danger."


	2. Chapter 1

"**QUILEUTE ~ LA PUSH ~ CHALLENGE" Entry**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this challenge visit **

**http:www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/QUILEUTE_la_push_CHALLENGE/74774~ **

**To use the above url replace the (DOT) with a . **

**~DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece. I own Ariana/Ri and other misc characters. Don't take them without asking. I also don't own Spider man.**

**AN This story should be finished by the 30****th**** so keep watching for updates! **

**BIG NOTE PLEASE READ!!!!! There is one MAJOR difference here other than the fact that we are ignoring Breaking Dawn when Jacob left the pack on his little Canadian adventure he REALLY left the pack and become an independent Alpha like he did in Breaking Dawn. This means that Jacob has NO CLUE what is going on back with the pack or in Forks.**

**If I got the time line right Jacob runs off sometime mid to late June and Bella/Edward get married August 13****th**** most of the first half of story will take place in between (July) so enjoy**

**Ages:**

**Ariana: 18 (graduates the same year as Bella) Birthday September 23****rd**** 1987**

**Melody: 19 (graduated a year before Bella) Birthday April 23****rd**** 1987**

The Darkest Hour

Chapter 1

28th of June 2006

I was excited, after lots of hard work, planning and pleading I had finally convinced my over protective mother to let me fly out to Washington to visit my long time friend Melody. Melody and I had known each other for ten years and have been inseparable ever since, well at least until her father was transferred to Washington two years ago. Now Melody was in college, out in Washington, and I was planning on scoping out the same college she was attending so that I could yet again be near my best friend.

My mom, Lana, didn't like the idea that her youngest daughter was going to be living so far away and protested the whole idea. She had even tried to bribe me by saying she would pay for my whole college career, if I went to one of the local universities, but I wasn't going to take the bait. I needed change and Washington would supply just that, with the added benefit of being close to my best friend and far away from my over bearing mother. My step dad, Drew, had been very supportive and I was grateful for his help, without his support mom would have never let me even think of living so far away. So we had finally settled on a deal, I would fly out and check out the campus. I had already been accepted into Seattle University as well as Indiana University a few months ago, so all I had to do was sign up for classes at which ever school I chose. I spent last week down in Indianapolis and now I was going to spend a month out in Washington. From there I would chose which one I liked best, but I already knew which one it would be, not that I would let my mom know that.

My musings were interrupted by a dinging sound as the fasten seatbelt sign lit up and the pilots voice came over the intercom to tell everyone that we were making our final decent into the Seattle Tacoma International Airport. I couldn't wait to see Melody again we already had plans made for the next week. Melody's dad worked for national security and lived about three hours from Seattle. So for the first week we would stay in Seattle and visit the campus, then after that we would go to Forks, where her dad lived, and stay with him for the rest of the month. If everything went as planed I would be able to call my mom and tell her that I wanted to go to Seattle University and just spend the final Month of my vacation out with Melody before starting school.

After the airplane landed it took another thirty minutes before I finally made my way out into the baggage claim area. The moment I came out of the crowd with my bag I was nearly knocked over by my extremely excited best friend. Melody was a small girl, standing only five foot two and weighing just over 110 pounds, she was pure muscle being raised in the military life style. Her long dark brown hair was pulled back in the standard tight pony tail and her bright brown eyes shown with excitement. "Ri! I'm so glad you finally made it! I could have sworn your mom would have chained you up and never let you come."

We had never been the squeally girls who jumped around shrieking until people's ear drums burst but for the first time in my life I truly felt like jumping around in a circle squealing about how much I missed her. Instead we settled on squeezing the life out of each other and laughing about how much we were going to have fun this month. "My word De what happened to the military tom boy who left me back in Indiana? You're wearing pink and makeup!"

Melody laughed poking me in the stomach "Look whose talking, your hair is straitened and you are wearing something other than a baggy t-shirt and jeans" Apparently we had both changed a lot over the past two years, at least in the clothing taste department, but no matter how much we've changed externally, internally we were still the same. "Come on Ri my cars waiting out side, my friend Liz is going to let us use her apartment for the week, its just off campus and she's going down to San Francisco to visit her parents for the week so we have it all to ourselves!"

1 week later

Seattle was nice, different from what I was use to in Indiana, but Melody told me that once we got out of the city it was like being back home, just a bunch of small towns and lots of space in between. The campus was absolutely beautiful and because it was located near a larger city there was so much to do. We spent most of the week catching up and scouting out the boys who had stayed over the summer on campus. I ended up talking to the staff and getting a class list, I also set up an appointment for the end of the month to set up my classes. I would have to spend some time looking into student loans as well, but that could be taken care of after I knew what my class load would be.

I was glad that the whole college thing was out of the way, for the next three weeks I planned on spending all my free time on the local beach scoping out guys and just hanging out with my best friend. Well that was the plan until Melody told me she had a job and worked three days a week at the local hospital as a CNA. That meant I was totally on my own half of the week and had to find something to occupy my time. Good news was I wasn't going to be stranded at her house, her dad typically car pooled to work so I would be able to use his Jeep while she was gone.

We arrived in Forks on Saturday night and sadly didn't have much time to hang out. Melody had to be at work at five AM sharp so an early night was in order. She was nice enough to print off driving directions to the closest theater, mall, museum and her favorite spot on the beach. She also told me of a few nice restaurants in town if I didn't want to cook. Her dad did stop me before I went to bed and warned me that over the past few months there had been some bad wild animal attacks so what ever I planned I needed to be careful.

Morning came all too quickly and I wasn't looking forward to a long day all by myself. My first agenda for the day was to head into Forks and grab a bite to eat, from there I would go scope out the beach. Today was going to be a lazy day. Even though I had been in Washington a week I was still adjusting to the 3 hour time difference. It didn't take long to find one of the restaurants that Melody had suggested and though I felt like an idiot going into a strange restaurant on my own but my stomach was growling. Later before I went home I would stop at the grocery story and buy some food so that I wasn't using up all of Des.

The small diner was rather busy, so I ended up sitting in the only booth left available in the whole place. It was a small booth right next to the large corner booth. That booth was occupied by three girls who seemed to be going on about a wedding. Something about them sent chills up my spine and for some reason I felt the need to refrain from growling. I made sure to sit on the opposite side of the booth so that I could keep an eye on them. As Peter Parker would say 'My spidy since was tingling' and I wasn't about to turn my back on the cause.

My food quickly came and I dug into it only to be interrupted by someone else walking into the diner. Because I was on such high alert watching the three strangers, the girl and boy who entered nearly gave me a heart attack. I watched the two, who looked to be a brother and a sister, as they walk over to the three girls. The boy seemed to be over joyed to see the three, he quickly sat down beside the long haired brunet, while his sister seemed to be just as jumpy as I was and stood glowering at the girls. She seemed reluctant to sit with them and their booth was already rather full. "Seth, I think I might go hang out in town for a bit. I don't really feel like being here. The smell doesn't really agree with me"

Seth, snorted and shook his head "Come on Leah it isn't so bad. Why don't you just sit down and order something." Leah growled low at him shaking her head "There isn't any room left Seth"

I was usually a really friendly person and something about Seth and Leah seemed to push away the strange feeling the girls were giving me. I was going to be in Forks for three weeks and at least half of that time would be spent alone unless I made a few friends, so I went out on a limb. "Um… you could always sit here, I don't bite… well most of the time" I joked.

Leah's head jerked up and her eyes shifted to me. Everyone at the other table had turned to stare as well and I felt my face start to flush. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

The small pixie like girl grinned and turned so she could look at me better. Something flashed across her eyes before she grinned. "Oh don't worry about it. Something tells me that we are all going to be great friends! I'm Alice and this is Rosalie, Bella, Seth and Leah"

The others looked over at Alice as if there was some kind of inside joke before turning back to me. The girl named Bella tilted her head as if thinking for a moment before also smiling. "I haven't seen you in Forks before are you visiting or something?"

Laughing I nodded "Yeah my friend Melody Heart moved here two years ago and I came to visit. I'm checking out Seattle University to see if I might want to attend there this fall. I'm Ariana Snow but most people call me Ri."

Leah finally sat down with a bit of a huff across from me but she was extremely stiff, as if she also didn't want to sit with her back to the others. I quickly found out that Bella was getting married to her high school sweetheart, Rosalie and Alice's Brother, at the end of summer and they were planning the wedding. Everyone but Leah seemed excited about it and I just smiled and nodded slowly eating my meal. The others went back to their conversation and I soon found out that Alice was an over active Pixie, Bella was a quiet but sweet girl, Rosalie was a beauty queen, Seth was a sweet over grown kid and Leah was a bit cold but I still liked her. After finishing my meal Alice asked what my plans were and I told her about wanting to head to the beach for a day of sun, well as much sun as you can get in rainy Washington.

"Well Bella, Rosalie and I have some more wedding stuff to plan, you are more than welcome to join us if you want" Alice offered but even though I was more comfortable now that Seth and Leah were around, I didn't feel like leaving with the others any time soon. I shook my head but smiled. "No I still kind of want to spend some time on the beach, De told me of this great spot that I want to check out."

Leah finally seemed to pay attention to me, apparently seeing an opportunity to escape the wedding planning trio "Oh what beach?"

I frowned for a second, not remembering the name, so I dug in my bag for the driving directions. After finding them I gave them to her. "I'm not sure of the name, she just kind of gave me some directions and told me that the beach was a great place to go."

Leah nearly jumped up after reading the directions. "Yeah this is the beach that lots of the Quileute guys hang out on. If you want I can go with you, it has been a while since I went there for the day."

I was excited that I wouldn't be alone all day and Leah seemed like she could be fun if she wasn't around the dynamic trio. Seth seemed torn between going with us and staying with his friends but finally agreed that it would be fun to go to the beach. "Who are the Quileute?"

Leah shook her head sighing and grumbling something about tourists. Seth being the overly excitable kid, that I was quickly finding out he was, jumped up and moved so he could sit in front of me smiling. "We are Quileute, it's the local Native American Tribe. We live in La Push, it's a reservation near the beach that we are going to!"

I laugh and nod to show that I understood. I felt a bit ashamed that I didn't figure it out what the Quileute were. "Oh, sorry, I know about a lot of the eastern tribes, I'm part Cherokee actually, but seeing as I've never traveled west of the Mississippi I am actually rather clueless about any tribes over here except for the really big ones like the Navajo. I would absolutely love visiting the Reservation before I leave! I've been thinking about getting my degree in American History, specifically Native American history. My great grandma use to tell me so many stories about her father's tribe and I've been hooked ever since I can remember."

After a while I finally got around to paying my bill and could leave. Seth and Leah said they would go with me to the beach but when I asked about their car they said they had hitched a ride so they ended up riding with me. As we drove to the beach Seth started asking questions about Indiana and my life there. "So you're Cherokee, I thought the Cherokee people originated in the Southeast and most of their reservations were in Oklahoma and Tennessee? Why do you live in Indiana?"

I laughed reaching beside me to pat the top of Seth's head. "Do I really look Native American to you Seth? My great Grandma Snow lived at a reservation in Oklahoma and her mother was German. I'm only a sixteenth Cherokee so I don't think they would be all that happy if I popped in to stay for a while. I did go a few times to visit Grandma there though. It was a fun experience. I loved the stories that the elders were always sharing. Grandma was always telling stories too. Her favorite stories were about Skin Walkers. She knew stories about them not only from the Cherokees but the Navajo and Hopi as well. She said that most tribes had at least one ledged about them and it fascinated her. I guess I'm just like her in that sense."

I was expecting one of them to snort or jump in with their own tribal tale but they both were deathly silent and that confused me. For the rest of the drive to the beach neither said anything more than a turn right/left here. When we reached the beach they both seemed to have forgotten about what ever I said that made them fall silent because Seth quickly grabbed my hand and started to drag me off towards the water. I didn't even have time to grab my beach bag out of the back seat but when I turned my head towards the Jeep I saw that Leah had it. She was just smiling and shaking her head at her brother's antics.

Seth was a good kid and soon I found myself chasing him around the beach, we played a few rounds of tag and even Leah got into it. Soon it started to get late and I knew it was time to head home. Seth seemed a bit off put by that but after begging me for nearly twenty minutes I agreed to meet them in town tomorrow, at about the same time, to hang out again. This time he promised to take me to the reservation and show me around. I exchanged phone numbers with Leah then left to head back to Forks.

I stopped and got some of my favorite foods at a small grocery store then went back home. De got there about the same time and we spent most of the evening cooking dinner and talking about my day. I told her about Bella, Rosalie, Alice, Leah and Seth and the adventure it had been. She went onto tell me that she had known the trio of wedding planners but only in passing. She was excited that I had made a few friends and she asked me to see if we could hang out on one of her days off because she would love to meet them. Soon we went to bed and through out the night my dreams were haunted by evil spirits and beautiful protective wolves.


	3. Chapter 2

"**QUILEUTE ~ LA PUSH ~ CHALLENGE" Entry**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this challenge visit **

**http:www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/QUILEUTE_la_push_CHALLENGE/74774~ **

**To use the above url replace the (DOT) with a . **

**~DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece. I own Ariana/Ri and other misc characters. Don't take them without asking.**

**AN This story should be finished by the 30****th**** so keep watching for updates! ****Quick AN I was reading StephenieMyers(dot)com and she had a comment about her books, she said that all of the stories told in New Moon about Quileute Legends were true except for the one about the vampire… I found the legend it said that a hero named Q'waeti' went around first taking a stick and striking beaver's tail telling him that he would forever swim and slap his tail on the water. He then found deer who was sharpening a knife to kill him so he stuck it on his ears and told him he would forever be afraid of people. He then went to the water and scrapped off some dead skin into the water and people grew from it. He then found two wolves and turned them into humans who he called the Quileutes… it went on to say he turned 2 dogs into people and that there were some people already on the earth but they walked on their hands and had nets between their legs. He told them to walk on their legs and catch fish. He continued to travel the land creating people and giving them purpose… as you can see this story wouldn't have worked well with the transforming back and forth between wolves so I made my own story. Billy wouldn't want to tell a stranger the same story that was told to explain transformation to tribal members so I figure that he would either make up his own story or possible the tribe had multiple stories about shapeshifters**

**BIG NOTE PLEASE READ!!!!! There is one MAJOR difference here other than the fact that we are ignoring Breaking Dawn when Jacob left the pack on his little Canadian adventure he REALLY left the pack and become an independent Alpha like he did in Breaking Dawn. This means that Jacob has NO CLUE what is going on back with the pack or in Forks.**

**If I got the time line right Jacob runs off sometime mid to late June and Bella/Edward get married August 13****th**** most of the first half of story will take place in between (July) so enjoy**

The Darkest Hour

Chapter 2

Morning came all too quickly. As I woke up I felt weird, a little warmer than normal but I brushed it off as a bit of jet lag or that I might have picked up a small bug. Getting up I quickly showered then threw on a pair of baggy jeans, a double layer tank top black on bottom red on top and my flip flops. I pulled my wet hair up into a high ponytail and let two small chunks hang down in my face. I finished up with a quick swipe of brown eye shadow and black eyeliner. After a final check I dashed out the front door leaving a note just incase someone got home before I did.

It didn't take long to get to the diner, the moment I arrived Seth bound over to me and again it seemed to me the boy resembled a overly excited puppy. I just laughed pulling the kid into a quick hug then smiled at Leah. "So what's on the agenda today? Got any more cool friends I can meet? Maybe a hot guy or two?"

Seth made an ick face, he was only 14 after all, and Leah just laughed. "Well there are plenty of boys in La Push but I wouldn't recommend flirting to much. The ones that aren't taken are real jerks… and some of the ones that are can be at times too"

We shared a quick laugh and then decide it was finally time to get going. Again the two had caught a ride into town so everyone piled into the Jeep. They didn't have to tell me where to turn this time until just before we got to La Push, I had found a map online and the directions weren't that different then the ones from the day before. We arrived at La Push and were greeted by a few of Seth friends. Two boys about a year younger than Seth were introduced as Collin and Brady, apparently Seth had told them everything about me the night before and they just had to meet me.

Leah sighed and quietly asked if I wanted to be rescued but I told her no. I loved kids, and they really weren't bothering me. They asked a million questions at once and finally I reached out tapping each on the nose. It startled them just enough to get them to stop so that they could breath and for me to answer them. "Alright kids one question at a time please. Yes I'm Ariana but call me Ri, I'm eighteen but I'll be nineteen soon. Yes I am thinking of staying around this area, yes I'm going to college soon, yes I have two siblings a older brother and sister, I have two dogs back in Indiana but they are my parents." I took a breath and shook my head "If I missed anything you'll have to ask me again"

Brady was the first to speak up after that. "Seth said that your Grandma use to tell you stories about shape shifters could you tell us some?"

Seth, Leah and Collin turned and glared at the young boy and I swear I heard a low growl coming from Leah but I brushed it off. "Yeah I can tell you some stories, but I kind of wanted to hear some of your tribes stories so maybe we can do an exchange."

Brady was happy with that answer and I seemed to have answered enough questions for the duo for now. We went to the Clearwater's home first so I could meet Seth and Leah's mother then after having lunch I was introduced to Billy Black. Brady insisted that he would have some great stories to trade. I laughed and agreed to trade stories if Billy was up to it, he agreed as well. It wasn't hard to see that something was hurting Billy, even though he smiled his eyes shown pain and worry.

Hours passed and I ended up texting De that I would probably not be home till late or until tomorrow. She told me to have fun and be careful. By the time dusk came word that I was going to tell some stories had spread and many of the young and old Quileute had gathered in Billy's yard to listen. Brady begged and pleaded for me to tell my stories first and I quickly gave into his puppy eyed pleading.

First I told a story about a Navajo skin walker who took on the form of a bear. He was an evil man who used his power to change into a bear to kidnap the love of the Chief, and eventually he was hunted and killed.

My second story was of a Hopi warrior who took on the form of a crow, when he noticed someone sneaking out of camp. He followed the young warrior to an enemy village. Apparently the enemy tribe was planning an ambush and the young warrior had been slipping away to give them information on the tribe and scouts. The warrior quickly flew back to camp and because of the information they defeated their enemies without loosing any of their own warriors.

The final story I told was my favorite. It was the same story of the Cherokee Princess that I use to beg Grandma Snow to tell me almost every time I saw her. During this story I closed my eyes the same way Grandma used to, the story played out behind my eyes just like a movie. When I finally finished and opened my eyes many of the tribe members were looking at me strangely. Everyone was quiet and I started to fidget before Billy spoke up. "Those were great stories Ariana, you have a talent for telling stories and we thank you for sharing with us."

Billy went on to tell a wonderful story about a set of brothers, the oldest brother was destined to be the chief while the younger brother became a sorcerer. One day the village was attacked and the older brother was hurt. Many of the tribe members were hurt and feared being attacked again so the younger brother cast a spell on all of the remaining warriors turning them into wolves so that they could protect their loved ones and once again reclaim their land from the enemy tribe. It turned out to be a great story and I did my best to mentally add it to the long list of stories.

When he finished it was very late and many of the younger members of our group were falling asleep. I noticed Brady and Collin were leaning heavily against each other so after thanking Billy for the story I got up to say goodnight to my two newest, and youngest, friends. I noticed that Collin was stumbling back towards his home but Brady was no where to be seen. I searched around for a few moments and finally found him. Sam was hovering over him and seemed to be lecturing him. He was talking in a hushed whisper, as I got closer I heard some of what he was saying. "You were told not to bring up the stories Brady, you put Billy in a very tight spot earlier! You are just lucky that he knows so many different stories. Never do that again, some things just aren't meant for outsiders!"

The whole time he was reprehending Brady something inside of me was building, I was furious with this Sam person for yelling at the kid. Letting out a low growl I stormed towards him. "Lay off the kid! He just wanted to hear a damn story that's no reason to yell at him!"

Sam turned sharply towards me letting out his own growl and glaring, he stood well over a foot taller than me and he seemed to be doing everything in his power to make himself appear bigger. "But out of it, this is none of your concern"

The way he brushed me off and the way he was trying to dominate me seemed to make something snap and before I knew what was happening my body had changed in a burst of pain and instead of the 5ft 4 stalkie girl there was a huge white furred blue eyed wolf that could look the tall man in the eye. It was strange, my whole body felt like it was on fire and my mind was screaming to protect Brady from this over aggressive male. Grandma's story ran across my mind, her warning that no one had changed since the princess because we had no one to protect explained why I had turned. It also crossed my mind that I shouldn't be protecting Brady from Sam, the boy wouldn't hurt the kid but something had set me off. I was growling and baring my teeth like a mother wolf protecting her pup.

All the sounds around me stopped as the remaining people looked on in shock. Most people had left only Billy, Leah, Seth, Sam, Collin, Brady, Embry, Quil and two other elders remained. "Ri STOP!"

My ear twitched and I turned to see Seth running up to me. I was about to fully turn towards him when I heard a deep rumbling growl from the direction Sam was. I turned to find a black wolf even larger than I was standing protectively in front of Collin growling right back at me. My world came to a screeching halt. Sam was a wolf as well, did that mean that their stories were true too. Could all the Quileute turn to wolves? I was about to turn tail and run when I found two other wolves standing by my sides. Somehow I knew that they were Seth and Leah. The two wolves were trying to protect me and something in the back of my mind told me that they would be in trouble for doing this. I stopped growling and sat down letting out a whimper of submission.

Sam stopped growling as well and cautiously walked over to me sniffing. Leah and Seth backed off reluctantly and I let Sam circle me, finally he sat down snorting a breath of hot air in my face. This must have been some kind of signal because the moment that his breath hit my face the flood gates opening. Many various voices and thoughts filled my mind. In an instant I knew everything, the REAL story of the Quileute tribe, the fact that there were Vampires in the area, the fact that most of the people standing around me were wolves and that Rosalie and Alice were Vampires. It was an over load of information and I found myself changing back to human just to silence all the thoughts.

I fell to the ground totally naked with my head in my hands and curled up in a ball. Leah-Wolf quickly curled her furry tail around me and growled for everyone to back off. She must have given Seth a mental command because he quickly ran off towards there house only to reappear a few minutes later as a human with a big baggy shirt and a pair of shorts for me that I guessed were Leah's. I quickly put the shirt on first. It fell to my knees so slipping the shorts on underneath was easy. I was confused but at the same time I knew what was going on because of the link with the rest of my new pack.

"Thanks Leah" I said but it was almost a whisper, my whole body was tingling and the slight fever I thought I had this morning had escalated. I was warm, even before I had put the cloths on the cold hadn't bothered me at all. After a few minutes I finally was able to stand on my own two feet and I finally looked around the group that had remained. Everyone was back to their human selves and it was a strange feeling that I knew everything about everyone of these people already. My eyes quickly darted to Sam and I sighed. "Hum… well I guess they say everything happens for a reason. You shouldn't be so harsh on Brady, even without coming here I would have probably become a wolf sometime soon. I always though that the Evil Spirit in Grandma's stories might be a vampire but at the time I didn't think the story was true. If I would have run into any of the Cullens again and gotten upset I probably would have changed and not known about you guys until later."

Sam sighed but agreed and soon I was getting lectured about not telling anyone. "Now wait one minute… I need to tell Melody, she'll know something is wrong and I've never been able to keep things from her, she can read me like a book."

Sam tried to argue but I was stubborn and finally he conceded ONLY if she guessed on her own. It wouldn't be hard, she knew grandma's story and after a few hints she would guess that it was true and what I was. "You need to stay here with the pack Ariana, the Cullens aren't out to get us but we just defeated an army of new borns and the vampire council called the Volturi demanded that Bella be changed soon. They will come back and check but we don't know when. Until you know more about your new wolf side you need to be where we can keep an eye on you and protect you."

I wanted to protest but knew that there was no use, Sam was the Alpha and I had to listen to him. "Fine but where am I going to stay? You won't let me go back to Forks but there isn't a hotel or any place for me to crash without sleeping on the couch or out in the woods."

It was Billy who ended up offering me a place to stay at least until his son came back. I dug through my new memories and found out that his son Jacob had run off a few weeks ago. I had finally figured out why Billy's eyes had shown pain and I quickly accepted in the hope that maybe I would be able to help cheer him up a bit and help him around the house. Tomorrow I would call De and have her come over so that she could start the guessing game. Then after she figured it out we could try to come up with a cover story so that I wouldn't have to return to Indiana to see my mom before 'school' would start. I was now just hoping that the whole vampire/volturi thing would be over in time for me to go off to college in September.


	4. Chapter 3

"**QUILEUTE ~ LA PUSH ~ CHALLENGE" Entry**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this challenge visit **

**http:www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/QUILEUTE_la_push_CHALLENGE/74774~ **

**To use the above url replace the (DOT) with a . **

**~DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece. I own Ariana/Ri and other misc characters. Don't take them without asking.**

**AN **

**BIG NOTE PLEASE READ!!!!! There is one MAJOR difference here other than the fact that we are ignoring Breaking Dawn when Jacob left the pack on his little Canadian adventure he REALLY left the pack and become an independent Alpha like he did in Breaking Dawn. This means that Jacob has NO CLUE what is going on back with the pack or in Forks.**

**If I got the time line right Jacob runs off sometime mid to late June and Bella/Edward get married August 13****th**** most of the first half of story will take place in between (July) so enjoy**

**Chapter dedicated to ****QuietStorm Aka Narusake-Koi my first and as of now only reviewer. Thanks for all the encouragement! See Review and you might get a shout out… or dedication too!!!**

The Darkest Hour

Chapter 3

August 10th

I was right, it took all of ten minutes before De figured out that I was a were wolf and it took five minutes after that for Embry to imprint on her and start growling when Sam tried to put up a fuss about her known. He said that I was giving to obvious hints. It was strange seeing Embry's thoughts about De so after a few good nips Embry did his best to not think of De while in wolf form.

It took a few weeks but I finally found an excuse on what to tell my mother about not going home, and even possibly not starting college in the fall. Apparently while on campus I inquired about getting my degree in history. After talking to my councilor for a while she mentioned a way for me to earn a scholarship by writing a research paper on a local tribe. The good news was that if the paper was well enough written I could get my whole degree paid for, the bad news was I had to spend at least a year doing hands on study in Washington. After Edward heard my thoughts he talked to Carlisle and he even agreed to foot the bill for my degree just to make it more believable. Even though I was still really iffy about the vampires I ended up hugging both Edward and Carlisle multiple times to thank them.

Besides getting my mother off my back and having a good excuse as to why I spent all my time on the reservation I had also gotten to know Billy. He was a great guy, overly protective of those he loved but still rather friendly most of the time. His daughter Rachael was also really welcoming and soon I almost felt like part of the family. Because of my integration into the pack I pretty much had become an honorary member of the Quileute tribe and Billy spent most of his free evenings sharing tribal stories with me. To say I was in heaven was an understatement. It was like being around my grandma all over again.

Most nights I spent out with the pack hunting and patrolling and last night wasn't any different. We finally got in just as the sun was breaking the horizon. I stayed in wolf form until I got to Billy's house then quickly changed before climbing through the open window. Even though Billy and his family knew about me being a wolf I didn't like waking them up at all hours of the day and night so I had taken to leaving the bedroom window unlocked. Billy had given me Jacob's room with the understanding that once he came back from his little adventure in Canada that I would either have to take the couch or find my own place. I had already started looking for a place nearly a week ago but had yet to find anything close enough for Sam's taste.

Groaning I tiredly pulled myself through the window and fell onto the bed. Except instead of the typically cold empty bed that usually welcomed my returns from my nightly patrol I ended up falling on an overly warm body. Said body promptly jumped up, grabbed me by the neck and started to growl. I started clawing at the hands trying my best not to transform in the tiny room but my air supply was quickly running low. My mind was slowly going dark but the one question that kept rushing through it was why I couldn't pry the stranger's hands from my neck. Just before the darkness consumed me I looked up at the face of my attacker and our eyes met. The last thought that passed through my mind before I lost consciousness was that he had the most beautiful eyes.

-*-*-*

A commotion brought me back to the land of the living, I jolted awake to the sound of Sam yelling at someone and Billy trying to play peace maker. Groaning I sat up rubbing my tender neck and sighing. "Alright everyone SHUT UP! Sam, I'm not dead so stop playing the over protective Alpha I can take care of myself"

Sam snorted as if saying 'yeah right' then I heard a soft thump as he leaned against one of the walls in the house. My eyes quickly adjusted to the growing light of the day and I first looked at Billy. It didn't take much to read his expression, the pain and worry were almost non existent so that meant that the body I toppled through the window on must be Jacob Black. Sighing I let my eyes shift over to the other figure in the room and my heart stopped. I knew the moment that I got a decent look at him that I had imprinted on him, no one else in the room mattered. Chewing on my lip I got out of bed and walked towards him. "Sorry about earlier, I really didn't mean to startle you like that. I'm Ri, the newest member of Sam's pack."

I held out my hand for a handshake and he took it, he still seemed a bit shocked but I couldn't blame him. His hand was warm and almost twice the size of my own but still it felt like his hand fit mine like a glove. I was about to say something else but a long yawn escaped me instead and I blushed. "Sorry, I'm still new at this wolf thing, last night drained me"

Jacob seemed to come out of his stupor and started to laugh. It was beautiful, rich and deep, it sent a shiver down my spine and I had to bite my lip to keep from letting out some strange purr. It was then that I finally noticed Sam again. He was looking between Jacob and me, I could easily see the question in his eyes. We weren't wolves so he wouldn't be able to read my thoughts but he knew me well enough to see that something had changed. I let out an audible groan that drew everyone's attention to me, even Jacob seemed to be watching me intently. "Oh shove off Sam, can't I have a little peace when I'm not in wolf form? Now I know why Leah is so damn cranky all the time… A girl's got to have her privacy! Get lost Sam you'll know what ever I'm thinking soon enough."

He jumped off the wall as if he was going to reprimand me for talking back to him but before I could even blink Jacob was standing in between us growling. He went from quietly watching me to up in Sam's face before I could even blink. It was a stand off between Alphas and the house just wasn't big enough for the two of them. I slowly reached up placing a soft hand on Jacob's shoulder and he instantly calmed down. "If this is going to turn into some big hoopla we need to take it outside before we destroy Billy's house"

Sam growled and stormed out of the house. Jacob was about to follow him but I tightened my grip on his shoulder. "I know this is probably the stupidest thing to ask right now but please tell me I'm not the only one who just imprinted." My voice was low and I wasn't even sure that Jacob would hear me but I felt the tension relax in his shoulders. He turned his head slightly to give me a quick smile before pulling out of my grasp and walking out after Sam. I noticed a slight spring in his step and I let out a long breath that I didn't realize I had been holding.

I was about to follow them when I heard a throat clear, it was then that I remembered Billy was still in the room. My eyes shifted to the man I had come to respect, he was grinning like an idiot up at me and I quickly guessed that he knew that his son and I had just imprinted on each other. "Oh stop grinning Billy, this doesn't mean I'm going to start calling you pops and playing house."

Billy just laughed and turned his chair so that he could go back to bed. "Don't let them kill each other out there please"

With a groan I finally rushed out of the house, the boys had taken off into the woods and I sighed in exasperation. Stupid boys couldn't stay put for more than five seconds. I quickly ran over to the Clearwater's house pounding on there door. Seth ended up answering and I quickly told him and Leah, who had sleepily walked up behind him, about what had just happened, including imprinting on Jacob. We quickly changed into wolf form and rushed after them with a howl. The rest of the pack were hot on trail as we quickly rush through the forest up towards the clearing where only a year ago the first half of the pack had defended Bella against a Vampire. There in the center were two wolves facing off and growling. Sam and Jacob were having a conversation that the rest of the pack couldn't hear.

Something unknown prompted me to leave the large gathering of wolves and I slowly walked over to stand just to the left of Jacob. Sam's eyes darted towards me and I brought up the thought that we had imprinted. Sam looked shocked and gave me a silent nod showing that he understood my choice. I let my side brush up against Jacobs and in almost an instant the voices of Sam's pack went quiet and for the first time I felt Jacob's thoughts. I saw everything about Bella and his trip to Canada and he in turn saw everything that had happened over the past month, from my grandmother's story to my transformation into a wolf. It was a great way to get to know my soul mate and I found myself looking forward to spending more time with him.

I soon felt other presences around me and looked around, Leah, Seth, Embry and Quil had all come to stand behind Jacob. The other eleven wolves stood behind Sam but a few looked like they were still a bit undecided, Brady and Collin being two such members. It almost tore me apart seeing Brady and Collin standing with Sam, I had become over protective of them almost like a mother wolf and to lose my link was nearly tearing me up inside. Soon what remained of Sam's pack left and our little group remained. Jacob spent a short time sniffing the others and soon their thoughts joined ours. It was a great feeling knowing that my new friends, and my best friends mate, were still part of my pack. We decided to return to the reservation and rest for a while before dealing with the new pack and how we were going to deal with territorial issues and any other problems that might arise from the new division.


	5. Chapter 4

"**QUILEUTE ~ LA PUSH ~ CHALLENGE" Entry**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this challenge visit **

**http:www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/QUILEUTE_la_push_CHALLENGE/74774~ **

**To use the above url replace the (DOT) with a . **

**~DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece. I own Ariana/Ri and other misc characters. Don't take them without asking.**

**AN I thought that this chapter was finally due. This chapter is from Jacob's point of view. Enjoy!**

**Chapter dedicated to ****QuietStorm Aka Narusake-Koi and XxBabyEmo94xX for reviewing! Thanks for all the encouragement! **

**See Review and you might get a shout out… or dedication too!!!**

The Darkest Hour

Chapter 4

Jacob POV

I couldn't believe it, not only had she chose that blood sucking leach over me but they were getting married! Edward even had the audacity to send a note along with it. I was enraged but I also knew that there was nothing else I could do to change Bella's mind. So I ran, it was probably not the smartest thing to do but I couldn't stand being around the 'happy couple' as they made wedding plans or when people congratulated them on their engagement and marriage. Canada seemed like the best place for a wolf to go and get lost so that's where I went.

It was a great feeling being able to run freely through the vast landscapes of Canada without constantly having to worry about Vampires or people seeing me. Yet even with that freedom the biggest downfall was that I wasn't truly able to escape the fact that Bella was getting married. Seth's mind was constantly turned towards her and the Cullen's and it was driving me crazy. Finally I had gotten fed up with it, the thought crossed my mind that I would be better off if I wasn't part of Sam's Pack any more and an instant later my mind was silent. My new instincts quickly caught up with the silence and I knew that now I was a lone wolf. Ok so maybe not a lone wolf but I had just separated from Sam's pack and created my own, a pack of one. It was an odd thought and felt strange having my mind all to myself but soon I felt Sam's mind prodding my own. He was flipping out and trying to find out if I was alright. Apparently even though I was not part of my pack Alphas could still talk to one another but the thoughts that passed between the two of us were filtered unlike a pack bond.

In a way I was glad that I could still contact him. It probably would have worried everyone sick if I had just vanished from their minds, they probably would have thought I was dead. From then on I kept Sam up to date with how I was doing and he played go between for dad and me. In early July I was shocked to find out there was a new addition to his Pack but Sam wouldn't give me much information on her, though it did slip that it was another female. I was sure that Leah was happy about that fact. She always was worried that she was some kind of freak because she was the only female to change into a wolf. I also found out about Embry imprinting, yet another wolf had found their soul mate while I was still alone.

These thoughts about Leah and Embry forced me think about Bella. I hadn't imprinted on Bella but I still loved her. If she would have chosen me what would have happened to her if I had imprinted later on? Bella would have been crushed possibly worse then even Leah because she had chosen me over Edward. Not only would I have lost the love of my life but my best friend as well. In a way I was ashamed that I had become so selfish in my quest to keep her away from becoming a leach like them. I loved Bella but Sam had loved Leah as well, it hadn't stopped him from imprinting on Emily and I knew the pain that Leah went through. I also knew that there was no way I could ever let my Bella go through that, I loved her to much.

It was with those thoughts that I started back towards La Push, I had to let her go and she needed to know. It had taken me until early August to figure all this out but it was the main reason I had went on this little trip. I wanted to sort out my thoughts and feelings and so I had. I ran all day and night for days so that I could get back before Bella's wedding, I needed to talk to her so that we could both move on and hopefully remain friends. If Seth can be friends with a bunch of leaches, I could do the same for Bella.

I was exhausted when I finally got back to La Push, it was pitch black out and everyone was asleep. I quickly shifted and stumbled though the house. I could smell a strange scent all over but I attributed it to the new wolf, she must have come here along with the rest of the pack to visit my father. When I finally got to my room I fell into bed falling asleep the moment I landed. It felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes when something heavy fell on me, it jolted me awake from a dead sleep. I jumped up growling quickly turning and grabbing the intruder by the neck. It took me a few minutes to push down my instincts to realize that the intruder was the owner of the strange scent that was in the house and most likely the new wolf. I was about to release my grip when she looked up at me with the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. Before I could loosen my grip and release her they closed as she passed out.

I quickly released my grip on her and carefully laid her down on the bed. When I finally got a good look at her something inside me clicked and all thoughts of Bella seemed to slip away. The girl was beautiful. She had dark blond hair and tan skin, even in the dull light of morning I could tell that she spent a lot of time outside. I knew every member of the tribe and she defiantly wasn't one of us which brought up a few questions in my mind. Who was she and how did she become a wolf if she wasn't Quileute? I was about to go get Billy when I heard the front door slam open. I turned around just in time to see Sam charge towards me, he was enraged and as soon as he was close enough sent his fist towards my stomach. It connected hard enough to knock the wind out of me and before I could even recover he drug me out of the room into the living room. I noticed Billy was up and looking between us curiously. "What the hell did you do Jacob!"

Like all Alphas Sam was extremely protective of the members of his pack and I had just nearly strangled one to death. "I didn't mean to, she fell through the window on me and it startled me. She's fine! She just passed out. She'll wake up soon enough."

Sam was about to retort when the subject of our argument woke up "Alright everyone SHUT UP! Sam, I'm not dead so stop playing the over protective Alpha I can take care of myself"

Sam snorted and I was startled out of my thoughts, even just waking up she took my breath away. She got up out of bed and came into the room growling and grumbling. She had to stand about 5ft 8 about a foot shorter than I was but she still seemed to command attention when entering a room. She finally looked over at me and I saw something flash across her eyes. She seemed to think about something before she started to chew on her lip. She seemed to decide on something then walked closer to me "Sorry about earlier, I really didn't mean to startle you like that. I'm Ri, the newest member of Sam's pack."

She held out her hand and I quickly took it, her hand was small in mine but it still felt right, I was too deep in thought to say anything. She must have gotten nervous because she blushed and started to ramble a bit. "Sorry, I'm still new at this wolf thing, last night drained me"

She was taking the blame for what had just happened and I just couldn't help myself I started to laugh. The events over the last few months all caught up to me, it was ironic that I ran away to get some space from Bella when if I had just stayed here I would have found my imprint and the whole problem would have sorted itself out. She let out an audible groan and I stopped laughing and turned towards her. I really hoped she didn't think I had been laughing at her, I would probably need to talk to her later and clarify what I had been thinking. Apparently Sam and Ariana were having some mental conversation because she growled at him. "Oh shove off Sam, can't I have a little peace when I'm not in wolf form? Now I know why Leah is so damn cranky all the time… A girl's got to have her privacy! Get lost Sam you'll know what ever I'm thinking soon enough."

Sam had never taken insubordination or people talking back to him very well. I could see even before he moved that he was going to reprehend her. My instincts to protect her kicked in and I quickly stepped between them growling. The two of us were in the middle of a stare down neither of us wanting to back down and let the other win. The energy crackled between us and it was all a matter of who moved first before the fight would break out. We were both pulled out of our thoughts when Ri spoke up "If this is going to turn into some big hoopla we need to take it outside before we destroy Billy's house"

Sam growled at her then turned storming out of the house, this set me off again and I was about to follow him to take him down a peg or two when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Ri was standing so close I could feel her body heat only inches from my back. "I know this is probably the stupidest thing to ask right now but please tell me I'm not the only one who just imprinted."

Her voice was so low I wasn't sure I had heard her correctly at first, but once it had registered with my mind that she had imprinted as well the tension left my body and I turned to give her a reassuring smile before quickly taking off after Sam. This whole thing needed to be settled. He needed to know he couldn't growl at my mate and that he had no authority in my family's house. The moment I was out the door I shifted and darted into the forest after Sam. It was easy to follow his scent trail and I caught up with him.

We finally stopped in a clearing to face off. Sam was the first to open a link between us. His thoughts were so loud it felt like he was screaming in my mind. "Don't interfere with my pack business!"

My eyes narrowed at his words but I tried to calm down, this didn't need to turn into some fight for the Alpha spot. "You were in my house Sam, you have no authority there. I didn't mean to hurt her, once I realized she was a wolf and wasn't there to attack me I let her go. What was she even doing in my house in the first place?"

Sam seemed to settle a tiny bit but was still glaring at me. "You left La Push and the Pack Jacob, you don't really have any authority here. You no longer belong to the pack so you don't have a say in what we do or how the pack is run. As for Ariana, she was in your house because your dad offered her a place to stay, she's not Quileute and we couldn't let a young wolf, who doesn't know how to control her temper, run ramped around humans."

The thought that he didn't trust my mate made my fur bristle and I was about to say something else when Leah, Seth and Ri entered the clearing closely followed by the rest of the pack. My eyes drifted over the sixteen members of the La Push pack standing behind Sam and I knew that he was right. I had left the pack and lost all rights to them. For the first time since my break from the pack I truly felt alone. It was as if Ariana had heard my thoughts because she broke from the group and came to stand beside me. Sam seemed upset for a moment but she must have told him that we had imprinted because he backed down without protest. Her side brushed mine and the silence of my mind filled with her thoughts and emotions. She had joined my pack. I saw her memories and finally understood how she had come to be a wolf. I even saw the story that her grandmother told her, it was so much like our own it easily explained why she had become a wolf here.

Soon I noticed Leah, Seth, Embry and Quil had also move to my side of the clearing and I knew that they wanted to join my pack. No one else moved but it was easy to tell that with a little nudge a few more of the younger pack members would come over to my side as well, but for now I was just happy that my friends were with me. Even though Leah and I weren't ever close I knew why she was joining me, it still hurt her to be part of Sam's pack and I was her one opportunity at escape.

Sam let out a little growl before turning and leaving. The rest of his pack left right behind him and soon only my new rag tag group of wolves remained. I quickly circled the others to show my acceptance of them and soon their thoughts joined my own. I could feel Leah's gratefulness as well as her happiness at Ri imprinting, it gave her hope that she too would find her soul mate. Seth was over excited that I had returned and his thoughts turned to how happy Bella would be for me now that I had found my own soul mate. Ri was just sitting quietly absorbing everything and thinking about where she would stay now that I was home.

Leah started to herd everyone else out of the clearing leaving Ri and me alone, I guessed that was her way of saying 'get to know her'. Sadly instead of doing that we started back towards La Push. I could tell that Ri was exhausted and we both thought it best to get some rest before getting into the long conversation that awaited us.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone. Wow, I am really sorry for not finishing this story. It actually helped inspire me to work on an original story that De and Ri are the stars of (but with different last names LOL)! But you won't be finding that story online, I'm going to publish it in a book! Well eventually I will I'm still working on it and YES it is a Shapeshifter story but not just wolves! Neways I was reading my stories one sleepless night and said… why not time for an update.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't own Twilight but I do own Ri and De so get over it!**

The Darkest Hour

Chapter 5

August 10th 2006 7am

Ri's POV

I stumbled my way back to Billy's house knowing that there were a lot of things that I should be worried about but too tired to even know where to start. When Jacob and I got back to the edge of the forest I trotted over to a small tree that I had started to hide cloths in. I gently dug my paw into the base of the tree drawing out really long shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. It was my favorite sleep wear and the shorts had always been really big on me so I figured they would fit Jacob. After gently picking them up between my large teeth and trying my best to not get wolf drool on them I dropped the pants next to Jacob's paws then darted off into the forest to get dressed.

Billy had given me the shirt after I had destroyed all my own sleeping cloths from nightmares and being jolted awake. As I walked out of the forest it dawned on me that the shirt had been Jacobs. It fell to my knees and was black with a wolf on it. Jacob looked at me and his jaw dropped. I blushed and walked over shoving his shoulder. "Pick up your jaw lover boy. I'm too tired to even keep my eyes open let alone deal with a hormonal drooling boy."

He laughed and we started the trek to Billy's house. It wasn't far but I was so tired that I started to stumble only to find myself swept up in Jacob's arms. I wanted to protest but he was so warm and smelled so good. Instead I found myself snuggling against him and resting my head against his chest. I felt the soft vibrations of his chest as he chuckled at me but I didn't care. I let out a long sigh and fell asleep.

August 10th 2006 2pm

The smell of food was what woke me from the deep sleep that I usually found myself in after a hard day of training or a long patrol. My stomach growled and I groaned attempting to roll over only to find that something was wrapped tightly around my waist and was preventing my movement. I let out a growl and again attempted to get up but an echoed growl came from behind me only moments before whatever was around my waist tightened and drew me back onto the bed and towards something warm. My eyes popped open and everything from that morning came back to me. I let out a long sigh and cuddled into Jacob's embrace for a few moments before my stomach again let out a roar and I knew I really needed to get up. I reached down to remove his arm and he let out a growl of protest but I just growled back and forced him to release me. Finally I pried his arm from around my waist and jumped out of bed.

I dug through my duffle bag and found another pair of shorts and slipped them on before leaving the bedroom and making my way towards the kitchen. I was groggy still but my wolf appetite was demanding food. De was in the Kitchen cooking up a storm and Billy was sitting there helping with what he could. As soon as De saw me she gave me a bright smile and tossed me an apple "I'll have Lunch done in a few minutes Ri and then Embry should be back from his patrol and we can eat. You might want to go wake up Jacob so he can get his share too"

I looked at Billy wondering why she wasn't being all squealy or hyper about Jacob and me. He gave me a smirk letting me know that Embry and he hadn't told her about Jacob and I imprinting. I let out a groan and let my head fall against the wall next to me. I realized that De was still talking "and I'm so happy that Jacob is back. Though Em did tell me that the packs split last night but that's just a cross road we'll have to deal with as we go. Billy told me that you fell asleep on the way home, you must have had a really long day"

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I had cut it shortly after my transformation to shoulder length but I was really shaggy in my wolf form and I knew that I would have to cut it even shorter soon. I took a deep breath giving Billy a short glare before clearing my throat. De looked up at me and I sighed "I found my imprint yesterday"

I high pitched yowl of joy came from De as she dropped the spoon that she was using to stir a large pot of what smelled to be spaghetti sauce. She dashed over wrapping me up in her strong but small arms. "HOW? WHO?"

I laughed and poked her in the nose "Think sister, who is the only new person in my life?"

She thought for a moment then let out a whoop and let me go then jumped up and down "JACOB! OH WOW!"

A grunt came from behind us and a sleepy Jacob walked out of his bedroom "What? Who are you?"

He was growling slightly and I glared at him letting out responding growl. I couldn't say anything before the small woman darted around me and ran over pouncing on the half asleep wolf. He stiffened up and I dashed over grabbing De and pulling her back. "Jacob, this is Melody, my best friend and Embry's imprint!"

He blinked a few times then his ridged stance relaxed and he let out a sigh. "Nice to meet you Melody, I'm sorry about growling at you, I am not much of a morning person, especially when being woke up by loud noises"

She laughed and poked him in the stomach "It's fine but call me De, I'm use to grumpy growly people. I grew up with Ri and even before her transformation she was very wolf like"

I sighed and then turned walking into the kitchen to stir the food before it could burn. "Alright enough bonding time how long until the food is done?"

She laughed and walked back over to the stove and took the spoon out of my hand and shook it towards me a little sauce splashing on my face. "When are you ever going to learn to cook Ri?"

I smirked and poked her in the stomach "Never, you know my skill in cooking only extends to ramen, mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches"

Jacob groaned behind me and I looked over at him "Oh don't start with me boy, now days you can easily live without cooking talent, there are plenty of readymade meals that are good"

De laughed and mock whispered to him "She's got potential but just no motivation, just give her some time"

I whacked De upside the head then looked over to Jacob blushing slightly "Morning… well Afternoon I guess"

He smiled and walked up to me and kissed my forehead "Morning my beautiful wolf"

Gah this imprint thing was weird, I had always been very personal bubble ish very few people were allowed to touch me, De being one of the few. My number of Boyfriends was limited because the guys got tired of how I hated clingy guys or even when they were pawing all over me. But I found myself craving the contact from Jacob. All I wanted was to snuggle up to him and ignore the world. I let out a sigh and also worried about how fast this was moving, I knew very little about Jacob other than what people had told me and what I had picked up through the wolf connection. But for some reason it wasn't worrying me. I snapped my eyes open and let them drift over to Billy, I wondered how he would react to the affection that Jacob was showing me.

Billy was beaming, I had never seen him so happy and a large weight was already being lifted off my shoulders. I was a bit worried about me, a 18 almost 19 year old hopefully soon to be college student and him a 15 almost 16 year old soon to be Sophomore in Highschool. I knew that De was going through the same thing but it was still weird, but at least I'll have her to confide in.

Embry bound through the doorway and walked over to De giving her a sweet kiss then ruffling my hair which got a growl from Jacob and Embry just smiled and did it again. I sighed and punched him in the gut. Embry and I had gotten close, I had felt the devotion oozing from him through the pack bond and it was probably the only reason I hadn't tried to kill him the moment I knew he had bonded to De. I was overly protective of my best friend, she had been hurt to many times by idiotic boys through her life.

De quickly finished up the large pot of Spaghetti, Meatballs and chicken. She had discovered quickly that we wolves didn't feel so drained after a transformation if she packed our meal plan with proteins and starches. She had presented the idea to Doctor Cullen at one point and he had done some research and between the two of them had discovered that we had a complex metabolism that was a mix of human and wolf. Wolves lived on protein so our bodies were demanding that yet it also was demanding the carbohydrates and sugars that our human bodies were used to using when we did a lot of physical activities. So now when she cooked there was always a lot of complex carbs in our meal and double the protein that most meals contained.

We sat down to eat and we made sure that Billy and De got enough food before the rest of us dove into the food. I hated how much I was eating but it didn't matter I had lost weight over the past month because of all the physical activity and my increased metabolism. As soon as we were done with the dishes Billy, De and Embry pushed us out of the house so that we could have some time to get to know each other beyond the wolf bond.

We talked about everything, our likes, dislikes, hobbies and even our parents. The skeletons in the closet were pushed to the backs of our minds until the sun was setting. Only three days from now was Bella's wedding, tomorrow was the rehearsal and then the next day was the bachelor/bachelorette parties. Today was probably the best day for Jacob to talk to Bella and though there was a part of me that was worried about it another part of me knew that he needed to talk to Bella. "You need to talk to Bella Jacob. She's really worried about you and even though she won't admit it I think it has been ruining her mood for the wedding."

He blinked at me a few times and then smiled "God you are wonderful Arianna, most girls would hate the idea that I needed to talk to Bella"

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair "Oh trust me there is a small evil voice in the back of my head that is telling me that I should be against the idea but Bella is my friend and I also know that she needs closure as much as you do. Plus the very loud wolf in me is telling me that you are my imprint and that no idiot female will take you away or I'll just have to kill her if she tries"

Jacob laughed softly though I could tell he was a bit uncomfortable with my subtle threat. He reached out cupping my cheek and then smiled big "Why don't you come with me. You said Bella was your friend, I am sure that she would be excited to know that you imprinted"

I pounced on him hugging him tight "That sounds great. We also need to get together with Sam soon and talk about the divide with the packs. Wolfs don't share territory there will be some major clashing if we don't figure it out soon."

He sighed and nodded "I'll have Embry go tell Sam that we will meet up tomorrow morning with the elder council to figure it out. For now let's head over to see the leaches"

I laughed and nodded. We walked back to the house and told them where we were heading and asked Embry to give the message to Sam and the tribal elders. We then walked to the forest quickly stripping and changing to our wolf forms. We had our cloths tied out our for paw and then took off through the forest at a mad dash. We played the whole way towards the Cullen's territory. The boarders were not as strictly enforced for me because the Vampire females had become close to me and De because of Bella. De and I were even part of Bella's wedding now. When I got to the territory I let out a loud howl to let the Cullens know that I was on my way and that I had crossed over into their territory.

Jacob was very iffy about crossing the border without direct permission but I just told him to grow a pair and took off faster through the forest playing a game of tag to pass the time. When we got to the edge of the forest I stopped and told Jacob to stay here. I wanted him to be a big surprise for Bella. He agreed and I licked his muzzle before slinking off and changing forms slipping on the tanktop and shorts that I had worn earlier. I didn't have shoes but it didn't bother me, even before I was a wolf I enjoyed being barefoot.

I walked up to the house only to have Edward meet me at the door giving me a worried look. I sighed and directed very loud thoughts to him 'Don't worry Edward, he isn't here for Bella. Well he is but only to make amends'

He gave me a confused look and I made sure to avoid thinking about imprinting I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. "Can you get Bella for me, I don't mind your scent to much but without the circulating air that is outside it can be a little over powering inside."

He gave me a puzzled look before turning and calling for Bella. Soon she came to the door and smiled walking out and giving me a hug. I let her go about to say something when Emmet came over and lifted me up in his arms giving me a bear hug. I heard Rose behind him complaining about him having to bathe before coming near her because of the wet dog smell but he just laughed. I heard a growl from behind me and everyone turned their attention to the forest. Jacob must have thought about me being his imprint because Edward gave me a shocked look and I glared at him. "Stop, don't worry I just have a guard dog today. Oh Bella I have GREAT news and I also have a question."

Bella gave me a puzzled look and I blushed "Um, well you see I imprinted this morning and I was wondering if you minded if I brought a guest with me to the wedding?"

Bella let out a yell and pounced on me hugging me tightly. "OH RI I'm soooo happy for you! Who is it? Do I know him? Where did you meet him? Oh my Ri this is wonderful news!"

I laughed and reached up poking her in the forehead "Take a breath Bella, you don't want to die before the wedding. Now lets see… Do you know him, yes, where did I met him, at Billy's house as for who he is, well you'll just have to meet him to see."

She pouted but hugged me again and then smiled "Who is your guard dog today Ri?"

I chewed my lip and blushed "My Imprint"

She gasped and looked towards the forest "You imprinted on a wolf? How? I thought Imprinting was instantaneous did someone else shift?"

I sighed and looked towards the forest "Just get on out here, there is no way for me to keep dropping hints and I think she's going to kill me soon if she doesn't see you."

Bella bounced on her toes and I knew that all the vampires by now knew who was out in the forest. They were all holding happy smiles and soon Jacob came out of the forest. Bella gasped and looked between me and Jacob a few times. I could see her own conflicts but soon she smiled and Hugged me before taking off towards Jacob with a yell. I felt a tug at my heart and looked over to Edward. "Are you happy Edward, no more competition for Bella."

He gave me a halfhearted smile "Yes I'm relieved, and I'm happy for both of you. You found your soul mates, hopefully now Bella and Jacob can get back to their friendship."

I nodded and sighed "We have another problem. Jacob separated from Sam's pack and when he came back Leah, Seth, Embry and me Joined him. Wolves are territorial and I have no idea how this is all going to work out."

He looked down at me and nodded "I'll talk to the family, perhaps we can redraw the territorial lines or something."

I smiled and reached out hugging him. Perhaps it was because my link to the wolf blood wasn't the same as the Quileute's but because he wasn't a threat to my family and friends I felt very little animosity towards him. My wolf ancestor had only shifted to protect against evil vampires and the Cullens were not evil. They still smelled bad but I knew that what I smelled from them was way different than what my boys smelled.

Jacob and Bella were still talking and I decided that maybe I could start the discussion about territorial boundaries with the Cullens while Jacob was busy. "What do you purpose we do about the territorial lines"

Carlisle smiled and walked back into the house coming back with a map of the area "Lucky for you Alice can see De and she saw De looking for an apartment in a new area. She saw that it was because of the wolves and after some brainstorming we all figured out that there might need to be some new territories. We knew that Jacob had formed a new pack of his own and didn't know if there was any way for him to rejoin Sam's"

I let my eyes linger on the map. La Push was neutral territory for the packs, there was a strip of land that was also neutral territory and then the territory had been divided in half. The territory surrounding La Push was Sam's pack territory. The Cullen boarder had been pushed back nearly to the Cullen's house and the middle territory would be ours. The Cullen's territory had a small strip of land that lead to about ten miles away from the wolf territories and then had a space for their hunting ground. Forks was again neutral territory for everyone as well. It would mean that the Vampires would have to travel farther to hunt but it would be a good thing for when Bella became a vampire because it was in a totally human free area of mountains and forest. Carlisle also handed me a new treaty contract. It was almost identical to the old one but there was a new clause that said if a human had full knowledge of the Vampire life and asked to become one that the treaty would not be broken. It was a way for them to change Bella without breaking the treaty and I was happy. There were also stipulations about how to go about joining forces if another large Vampire attack happened. It was a great revision to the treaty and I hoped that the council would approve.

I reached up kissing his cheek and then hugged Alice and the rest of the Cullens except for Rose who I purposely gave her a large bear hug and made sure to get as much of my scent on her as possible. "I'll present the idea to Jacob and he can talk to the council tomorrow."

When Jacob and Bella came back to join the group they were both laughing and joking around, it was almost like they never had an acquired time where they liked each other. I showed Jacob the new territorial map and the new treaty and he seemed excited as well. Jacob's pack would be in charge of 'watching' the Cullens while Sam's would be in charge of protecting La Push and our families. An equal divide of duties to keep everyone happy and hopefully would help lighten the load on both packs.

Edward quickly invited Jacob to join the boys for the Bachelor party but Jacob declined saying he would be probably spending the next few days hammering out the details of the new territories. He wanted to get it done before the wedding. We finally changed at around midnight and ran back to Billy's house. De was asleep on the couch and Billy had left a note saying that he didn't mind that we shared a bed again tonight but to behave and that as of tomorrow it might be a good idea for De and I to go apartment hunting, we were spending so much time here that we probably needed a place closer to here than Forks. I knew he didn't want to kick me out but there really wasn't enough room for me to stay here now that Jacob was back and most nights that De wasn't working she was crashing on the couch here.

We were both exhausted but really happy about how everything had turned out. It didn't take long before Jacob and I were curled up on his bed and fast asleep for the night.

**AN**

**I really hope you all loved this, I'll try to not forget about this story while writing my own. I really LOVE LOVE LOVE this story and hope you all do to!**


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